Chef John's Beef and Guinness Stew

Gather all necessary ingredients before commencing with the recipe.\nCook and stir bacon in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it reaches a golden brown color and becomes crispy, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat source and transfer the cooked bacon into a large stew pot, reserving the rendered fat in the skillet for later use.\nSeason beef chuck cubes generously with 1 teaspoon of salt and black pepper to taste, allowing the flavors to meld together. Turn the heat up to high under the skillet and sear the beef pieces in the hot fat on both sides until they are nicely browned, about 5 minutes. Place the beef in the stew pot with the bacon, leaving a small amount of fat in the skillet for added flavor.\nTurn the heat down to medium; cook and stir onions in the retained fat in the skillet until they are lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes; season with a large pinch of salt to bring out their natural sweetness.\nCook the garlic with the onions until soft, about 1 minute. Pour beer into the skillet and stir it in with a wooden spoon, scraping up any browned bits of food that may have accumulated at the bottom of the pan.\nPour the cooking liquid from the skillet into the stew pot. Stir in tomato paste, carrots, celery, thyme sprigs, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, and enough chicken broth to cover the ingredients.\nBring the stew to a gentle simmer, stirring to combine; reduce the heat to low and cover the pot with a lid.\nSimmer the stew until the beef is fork-tender, about 2 hours. Stir the stew occasionally and skim any excess fat or foam if desired.\nRemove the lid and raise the heat to medium-high. Bring the stew to a low boil and cook until it has slightly thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the thyme sprigs and adjust the salt and pepper to taste, ensuring the flavors are balanced.\nArrange mashed potatoes in a ring in a serving bowl; ladle the stew into the center of the potatoes, creating a visually appealing dish.